Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Computing devices such as personal computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, cellular phones, and other Internet-capable devices are increasingly prevalent in modern life. Over time, the manner in which these devices provide information to users has become more intelligent, more efficient, more intuitive, and/or less obtrusive.
The trend toward miniaturization of computing hardware and peripherals, as well as of sensors, detectors, and image and audio processors, among other technologies, has aided the emergence of a field sometimes referred to as “wearable computing.” Wearable computing typically involves a user wearing a wearable display, such as, for example, a head-mounted display.
The wearable display typically includes a display element, such as, for example, a near-eye display element, arranged near to one or both of the user's eyes. A small image may be displayed on the display element. The image may be, for example, generated by a computing device coupled to the wearable display. Due to the nearness of the display element, the small image may fill or nearly fill a field of view of the user. As a result, the small image may appear to the user as a larger image, such as might be displayed on a traditional image display device.
Emerging and anticipated uses of wearable displays include applications in which users interact in real time with an augmented or virtual reality. Such applications can be mission-critical or safety-critical, such as in a public safety or aviation setting. The applications can also be recreational, such as interactive gaming. Other applications are possible as well.